Bursitis Specialist

Space City Pain Specialists

Bursitis is a painful — and frustrating — condition that prevents your joints from moving freely because of inflammation. At Space City Pain Specialists, the team of musculoskeletal experts helps its patients in Webster, Baytown, League City, and Lake Jackson, Texas, get back to their active, healthy lifestyles without the pain and limitations caused by bursitis. To request an appointment, call or use the online scheduler.

Bursitis Q & A

What is bursitis?

Sometimes the very structures in your body that are designed to prevent pain can be the source of your pain, as is the case with bursitis. Your bursae are small fluid-filled sacs that are found in your major articulating joints. Their primary role is to prevent your bones, muscles, and tendons from rubbing together painfully inside your joint.

When these bursae become inflamed, however, it can cause moderate to severe pain in your joint.

Bursitis can often coincide with tendinitis, which is inflammation in your tendons, and the combination of the two can have a serious impact on your ability to use the affected joint.

What causes bursitis?

Bursitis is usually tied to repetitive movements that overtax your bursae. For example, if you have an occupation that relies on using one joint over and over again, such as the shoulder of a house painter, you’re at risk for developing bursitis. Outside of work, activities and sports where you place abnormal, and repetitive, stress on a joint, like repeatedly swinging a tennis racket, can also lead to bursitis.

Even if you’re not moving, you can develop bursitis by placing pressure on your bursa sacs. For example, if you spend a lot of time on your knees in the garden or you lean on your elbows at your desk, your bursae sacs may respond to this added, and constant pressure, with inflammation.

Rounding out the list of suspects when it comes to bursitis are medical conditions like rheumatoid arthritis, gout, and diabetes.

Where does bursitis develop?

Bursitis usually develops in the joints you use most, including your:

Elbows

Shoulders

Knees

Hips

But these aren’t the only areas. You can also develop bursitis at the base of your big toe or in your heel.

How are bursitis and tendinitis treated?

After reviewing your symptoms and evaluating the extent of your joint problem, your pain management specialist comes up with a treatment plan that restores pain-free movement to your joint. This plan may include one or more of the following:

RICE — rest, ice, compression, and elevation

Anti-inflammatory medications

Physical therapy

Corticosteroid injections

Bursitis usually clears up with time, but you can do your part to speed this up by giving the affected joint a proper rest to allow the inflammation to subside.

For more information on bursitis, call Space City Pain Specialists, or use the online scheduler.